Character Analysis
Joe is Margaret Kochamma's second husband. He's also the man that Sophie Mol regards as her true dad and favorite person in the world. He and Margaret met when Margaret was already pregnant with Sophie Mol. As far as Margaret is concerned, he's the total opposite of Chacko: "Steady. Solvent. Thin. Margaret Kochamma found herself drawn towards him like a plant in a dark room towards a wedge of light" (13.75-76). We never actually meet Joe in person – he dies in an accident in 1969, prompting Margaret and Sophie Mol to seek comfort and refuge in Ayemenem.